Tag Archives: cloud

I like visual reminders of things I should know but frequently forget… so today’s photo is a cheerful reminder of “It’s the journey, not the destination”. I took this photo of the landscape, but it’s the sinuous road which catches my eye and makes me want to explore this glorious part of Utah again and again.

One of the last photos taken on my recent trip through Utah, Arizona and Nevada. This was in the center of Utah. I watched this storm build for a while and stopped to take several images of it… this was when I finally started to see rain falling off to the right and I wasn’t sure how long it would be before I got hit with it, so I stopped and took several exposures for an HDR. I love how the underside of the clouds is so richly textured, and I’m a sucker for sunrays so the strong light beams are incredible to me. The dappled light on the ground was an extra gift here, as I really wanted to get some light on the ground and for the most part it was in shadow. HDR for HDR Friday… enjoy!

Thanks so much for viewing my work here. If you are interested, my website has lots to explore and enjoy. www.kelleybard.com. Feel free to browse!

Have you ever taken a landscape image you liked in theory but it just didn’t have great or interesting lighting? Here is a way I’ve found to create a better image from a good one:This was a tree I found on the way to Bryce Canyon National Park. It was in a gorgeous area of these red rock formations, and I looked up and saw this tree and fell in love. The sky was more blue, and the rock wasn’t as vivid or well lit (it was solidly overcast, so the light was nice and soft but not interesting), so I chose to process it as an HDR. I took 3 images (my normal landscape protocol so I can pick and choose HDR’s in the future) and processed them in Photomatix. The result I liked best left the tree and rock dark. So I processed it a second time with the same images, this time making the light on the rock brighter and lightening the tree area as well. I followed the process discussed below and mixed the two .tif’s to create the rock lighting that I wanted. Then I finished the photoshop creation with some cleanup touches and here you are!

Process:

1. Take 3 or more shots (for me, the Canon can take -2, 0, and +2 exposures every time I shoot an image) whenever you might possibly use a photo for an HDR.

2. Process the set of exposures in Photomatix, the Nik HDR program, or Photoshop (any HDR creation program). Process it once as your ideal sky and save it. Then undo tone mapping and re-create it with your ideal rock lighting. Save that one as well.

3. Put both images into Photoshop, layer the images (shift and drag one onto the other) and mix them however you find best!

Two versions of this image for your viewing enjoyment… and it’s HDR Friday so they are, um, well… HDR’s. Taken in Zion National Park (which, by the way, I’ve wanted to go to since I moved to the 4 Corners region. So glad I went, and I need to spend much more time exploring this beautiful area). I believe this is the “Great White Throne”, but I”m not sure if I have the name right. I love how the different versions came out so vastly different. The great lighting on the mountain is more visible in the color version, but the black and white one is more intense, in my view. What do you think?

Will be available at www.kelleybard.com, come on by and check out what I have there when you get a chance!

I took this image while exploring Red Rocks Amphitheater (and here, the entrance drive in) with my new wide angle lens. I was struck by the lovely, bright leaves and the lines in the rocks and sky, so I took a few images for a possible HDR. This ended up being a single image HDR (handheld was a bit blurry in some of the exposures). The extreme sunlight made some unavoidable color problems, though- I got rid of the red lines around the branches, but was stymied (or too lazy) to clean up every green outline), I removed as much as possible without going into each single line. So I did the best I could. I still like it but I don’t like cutting corners, dammit!

I love landscapes and haven’t gotten out with my camera to catch the beauty around here lately, so it was nice to get back to it.

My two loves in photography (well, I like an awful darn lot of different photo experiences I’ve had so far, but…) are landscapes and portraits. I think both can be so important in people’s lives… a place idealized, a moment or glimpse captured… I love those images. Hence my name for my style, “LifeScapes”. So Enjoy this one, an entry into my landscape style. A warmed, almost sepia black and white. I loved finding this gate- there wasn’t much behind it, but this open space was paramount. It’s a beautiful valley that cuts right up the center of Colorado. I drive through it at least 4 times a year, but had never seen this spot!